This article was produced in partnership with Intact Insurance.
David Saric, of Insurance Business, sat down with Lisa Mathison, partner, Reliance Insurance and Destiny Timmerman, business development manager, Intact Insurance, to discuss how Reliance builds its brand and its business by helping its community become more economically resilient.
Helping a community build economic resiliency builds business and good will, as Lisa Mathison (pictured left), partner at Reliance Insurance, has seen first-hand in her work with the brokerage.
As the largest locally owned brokerage in Medicine Hat, Reliance Insurance has made community giving a core tenant of its identity and business strategy. Over the last 30 years, the brokerage has been involved with many charitable efforts, with a particular focus on those that support youth success and relieve poverty.
“Insurance is first and foremost a people business, and we’re here to help people in any way we can, whether it’s providing coverage to protect what matters to our clients, or supporting charities that make an impact in our local community,” said Mathison.
“We see firsthand the impacts of economic hardships and how the strains of our local economy can affect our clients — we feel those impacts too.”
Reliance supports its customers and community by tapping into its generous employees, as well as leveraging initiatives such as Intact Insurance’s Better Communities program.
Reliance uses industry partnerships, such as Intact’s Better Communities program, to augment its support of local charities.
The Better Communities program was created in 2018 to offer brokers a simplified way to access charitable giving through Intact Insurance. Through the program, brokers have an opportunity to apply for a donation to a registered charity that matters to them, particularly those that focus on child poverty and youth success.
In 2021, the brokerage received a Better Communities grant to support the Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society, and, in 2022,2 the grant they received went towards the Be Youth Centre and the Bridges Family Programs Association of Southern Alberta.
This year, Reliance received a Better Communities grant to support Medicine Hat’s newly opened Ronald McDonald House, which provides a place for families to call home at little to no cost while their child receives urgent or ongoing medical care at a nearby hospital.
In addition to their financial support of the charity, the team at Reliance banded together to cook meals for the resident families.
“The last the thing these families should worry about is additional bills, a place to stay and a meal to eat,” Mathison said. “All of their attention should be focused on keeping the family together and getting their sick child necessary medical attention.”
The way Reliance sees it, taking care of their community is a natural extension of taking care of their customers.
“These charities are the backbone of our community. When our community prospers, so do our customers,” Mathison said. “We want to see their ongoing success, which is why we support them. ”
For Destiny Timmerman (pictured right), business development manager, Intact Insurance, Reliance’s commitment to the community they work in, is a key part of the brokerage’s brand. Over the two years she’s worked with Reliance in her business development role at Intact, she’s seen the brokerage use all opportunities and resources at its disposal to build a better and more equitable Medicine Hat community.
“Reliance does a lot for their community — we love to see that from brokers,” she said.
For Reliance, community building is an ingrained part of its business.
The brokerage has an established Church and Charity insurance program, as well as two employees who specialize in insuring churches and charitable organizations throughout Western Canada.
“As individuals and as a team, we’ve always supported non-profit organizations,” said Mathison. “We understand the needs of churches and charities, and it made sense for us to make this a part of our business offering.”
Mathison noted it’s important to engage with the community at large – not just with the brokerage’s customers. While many of the community organizations Reliance supports are its clients, the brokerage wants to ensure their support is felt throughout the community.
The Reliance team uses grants received from carrier partners to create giveaways that support and promote local businesses. Elsewhere, the company uses extra cash with local advertisers or to support the city’s amateur sports teams.
“When we get paid, we pay it forward to the community in any way that we can,” Mathison said.
Helping a community build economic resiliency is an ongoing effort, and it’s especially needed during the holidays. The Reliance team is mindful of this, and employees constantly suggest new initiatives the brokerage can support.
“They bring opportunities to us, and we help them to facilitate these within the office,” Mathison said. “Whether that is collecting and donating food to animal shelters in need, or volunteering to organize hampers full of clothing and goods for families in need this holiday, it’s important to foster a spirit of giving during this season.”
This attitude mirrors the values of Intact and its Better Communities program.
“In the insurance industry, we often talk about resiliency, and resiliency is about more than climate adaptation,” Timmerman said. “Resiliency is about creating opportunities for people and communities to thrive, and the Better Communities program is a good example of that. The Reliance team is tuned into the needs of local charities and the brokerage and the employees are willing to contribute in a variety of ways. This is wonderful.
“There's so many different scenarios that are critical right now and not one business or group of people have the resources to support all of them.
“But together, we can definitely make a difference.”
Intact Insurance is Canada’s largest home, auto and business insurance company, the choice of more than four million consumers. Its coast-to-coast presence and its strong relationship with insurance brokers mean the company can provide the outstanding service, comfort and continuity customers deserve. Intact Insurance is a member company of Intact Financial Corporation (TSX: IFC), the largest provider of property and casualty insurance in Canada and a leading provider of specialty insurance in North America. Intact Insurance is also recognized as the Top Professional Liability Insurance and D&O Insurance Companies in Canada. Read more here.
